Raymarine expands aSeries with new 9 & 12 inch Multifunction Touch Displays

by Sarah Brooke, Raymarine 28 May 2014 12:31 BST 28 May 2014

New a9 and a12 displays deliver fast and fluid navigation, multi-sonar capabilities and new video and thermal night vision integration.

Raymarine, a division of FLIR Systems, is announcing the all new a9 and a12 multifunction displays. Both models will make their public debut at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show in Queensland, Australia. The new 9" and 12" multi-touch displays are equipped with Raymarine's best-in-class touch-screen display technology with pinch-to-zoom, a fast 10Hz internal GPS and extensive wired and wireless networking expansion capabilities.

The new models are powered by the latest release of Raymarine's LightHouse II user interface. This latest release of LightHouse II is even easier to use and customise with all new multi-sonar capabilities. Anglers can now create their own custom sonar command centre with multiple independent Digital, CHIRP or CHIRP DownVision™ sonar channels running simultaneously. This powerful and independent sonar control lets anglers view both internal and network sonar modules together for the ultimate in underwater intelligence.

Built for speed, the a9 and a12 with LightHouse II deliver a fast and fluid chartplotter navigation experience. A 10Hz 50 channel internal GPS provides accurate and smooth vessel tracking at high speed while a powerful dual core processor and a dedicated graphics processor delivers effortless panning and zooming of Raymarine LightHouse vector and raster charts (USA only). In the USA all aSeries multifunction displays include LightHouse Vector charts of coastal US waterways along with free access to LightHouse Raster charts online at www.raymarine.com. aSeries also supports all Navionics chart formats including Navionics' community sourced SonarCharts.

With visual and thermal camera integration the new a9 and a12 are a boater's sixth sense at sea. Optional Raymarine thermal cameras with superior FLIR infrared technology can be viewed and controlled via touch screen, letting boaters "see" in total darkness and stay safe.

The a9 and a12 also support multiple video over IP cameras for keeping watch of crew, docking manoeuvres, or engine room monitoring.

Boaters can also access the a9 and a12 anywhere onboard with built-in Wi-Fi wireless networking and Raymarine mobile apps. With Raymarine mobile apps boaters can view and take control of any aSeries display direct from their tablet or smartphone. Built-in Wi-Fi also lets boaters sync with Navionics mobile apps. Boaters can sync waypoints, routes, and now even charts. The new Navionics Boating app delivers charts and chart updates wirelessly from the Navionics app direct to any LightHouse II powered display.

In addition to Wi-Fi, the a9 and a12 feature built-in Bluetooth for remote control of MP3 music and connection to Raymarine's optional RCU-3 wireless steering wheel remote.

As the new a9 and a12 are powered by LightHouse II they are easy to network and expand with additional features and functionality:

• Remote HybridTouch™ control using the optional wired RMK-9 full function remote keypad.
• Two Raynet Ethernet ports for connecting Raymarine radars, sonar modules and multiple LightHouse II powered displays
• Digital, HD Color and Super HD Color radar support
• Digital Sonar, CHIRP Sonar and CHIRP DownVision external sonar module support
• Autopilot control with Raymarine Evolution autopilots. Turn any aSeries display into an autopilot control center
• AIS receiver connectivity with support for AIS target tracking in both chart and radar applications
• Thermal night vision camera option. View and control Raymarine T-Series thermal cameras
• Optional SIRIUSXM Marine Weather receiver support. Receive and animate up-to-the minute forecasts (USA Only)
• Connect with NMEA2000 (adapter included) and SeaTalkng devices
• Engine integration and fuel monitoring. NMEA2000 support or Raymarine's optional ECI-100 Universal Engine Interface
• Vessel systems control with optional Empirbus Digital Switching
• Optional external GA150 GPS antenna for below deck GPS reception
• Dual-slot microSD card reader for accessing chart data, data backups and LightHouse software updates

The new a9 and a12 series are each available in three configurations. The a95 and a125 models are the ideal network chartplotter solution. The a97 and a127 have all the features of the a95 and a125 plus a built in, high performance, dual channel digital sonar. For anglers looking to experience Raymarine Visionality™ the a98 and a128 are equipped with CHIRP DownVision™ sonar plus a CHIRP fish targeting sonar channel.

• Pricing: a9 from £1,370.83 ex tax a12 from £2,037.50 ex tax
• Availability: New a9 and a12 are expected to be available in July 2014

www.raymarine.co.uk